


to have, to keep

by blazeofglory



Category: The Terror (TV 2018)
Genre: Defining the Relationship, Established Relationship, Jealousy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 08:42:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30086460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blazeofglory/pseuds/blazeofglory
Summary: “I left a mark,” Edward replies, flushing in embarrassment. He touches one fingertip to it, pressing gently to see the way Tozer’s skin turns white and then purple again as Edward lifts his fingertip. “Here.”“Oh,” Tozer laughs softly. “Don’t you worry about that, it was there before I got here.”Edward’s frown only deepens. “What is it from?”“Tommy, I think.”
Relationships: Edward Little/Solomon Tozer
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	to have, to keep

“Shit,” Edward says, pausing in his rutting as he notices the mark on Tozer’s skin. He’s got Tozer in his bed, under him, and he’d been kissing his neck—he didn’t realize he’d gotten carried away. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize I’d been so rough.” 

Tozer pauses now too, hands still on Edward’s ass as he makes a face. “What are you talking about?” 

“I left a mark,” Edward replies, flushing in embarrassment. He touches one fingertip to it, pressing gently to see the way Tozer’s skin turns white and then purple again as Edward lifts his fingertip. “Here.” 

“Oh,” Tozer laughs softly. “Don’t you worry about that, it was there before I got here.” 

Edward’s frown only deepens. “What is it from?” 

“Tommy, I think.” Tozer shifts his hips, clearly angling for Edward to press his thigh up for Tozer to keep grinding against, but Edward pulls back instead, kneeling between Tozer’s wantonly spread legs. 

“Tommy,” Edward echoes, voice carefully devoid of tone. “Armitage?” 

Tozer sits up too, sighing as he adjusts himself in his pants. “Yeah, Armitage.” 

It’s a rather distinctive bruise—the sort that only lovers make. Edward need not ask what Tozer and Armitage were up to; the answer is readily apparent. Edward cannot look at Tozer’s face now, as he focuses on breathing steadily through the sharp ache and growing tightness in his chest. 

Edward’s been a fool, he realizes now. Oh, he’s been a right fool. He and Tozer have never spoken of the things they do, but Edward didn’t think they needed to—he thought they were on the same page, aligned in their desires and discretion. He thought, stupidly, that the way Tozer kissed him actually _meant_ something. 

All it means, apparently, is that Tozer likes to kiss. Likes to fuck. Likes _men_ , men like Armitage and Edward and maybe others. Edward is not special. 

“Who else is there?” Edward asks, and he means to only sound curious, the way any friend would want to know who their friend is fucking—but it comes out jealous, because of _course_ it does. 

Tozer crosses his arms over his chest defensively, brows furrowed. “The fuck’s it matter?” 

“It doesn’t,” Edward replies quickly, shaking his head. “It’s not my business.” 

Edward _wants_ Tozer to be his business, but that is not the relationship they have. These are not the _conversations_ they have. God, but Edward feels out of his depth. 

Tozer sighs again and glances away, over towards the door. _Fuck_ , Edward doesn’t want him to leave. 

“Forget I said anything at all,” Edward says, forcing a levity to his voice that he does not feel. He reaches out again, bracing his hands on Tozer’s strong thighs through his coarse pants—Tozer’s not hard anymore, but Edward knows how to fix _that_. He reaches for the buttons of Tozer’s pants, but Tozer’s hand on his wrist stops him. 

“Are you jealous, Edward?” Tozer asks softly, almost _awed_ —though perhaps _mocking_ , instead. Edward still cannot meet his eyes, but he flushes at the use of his Christian name—Tozer has used it before, but only sparingly, and usually only when buried _deep_ inside Edward. It’s always been a rather intimate thing, that use of his name, and it makes _this moment_ feel more intimate for it. 

Edward does not know how to answer; he knows all too well what a horrible liar he is. If he says no, Tozer will _know_ that Edward is lying. But Edward cannot bring himself to say yes. He tugs his wrist out of Tozer’s grip, pulling back once more, and when he glances at Tozer’s face, it is not mockery or disdain that he sees. It’s curiosity. 

“I just… did not know there were others,” Edward finally says. 

Tozer looks at Edward with keen eyes. 

“You want me all to yourself?” Tozer smirks. “Is it love then, Lieutenant? You want to keep me like a little wife?” 

Edward flushes immediately, stung by the mockery as he focuses his gaze on his pale hands in his lap. 

“It’s not—I didn’t mean…” 

“I know what you meant, love,” Tozer says, then shifts closer, a smile on his handsome face as he leans in and kisses Edward softly, hands on his cheeks. Edward reaches out, clinging to Tozer’s waist, holding him close, as his heart races. 

Tozer pulls back an inch, gently bumping his forehead against Edward’s, and there’s a soft gruffness to his voice as he says, “Aye, there have been others. But it’s… different. With you.” 

Edward can scarcely help the rising hope in his chest. He fears, still, that Tozer does not feel the same as Edward does, but—it’s _something_ , at least, that this is different for Tozer. It _is_ special to him. 

“Is it love, then?” Edward asks, parroting Tozer’s own teasing words. Tozer huffs a soft laugh. 

“Something of the sort,” Tozer replies, then kisses Edward again, soft and sweet. They hardly ever kiss like this, save perhaps after they’ve both already come and are holding each other for the few scant minutes they allow themselves before they part. Edward likes it. 

Distantly, the bell sounds, and they both sigh as they part. Slowly, Tozer pulls himself from Edward’s arms and stands, adjusting his fine red coat—normally, there’s a lot more adjustment that needs to be done, but Edward had distracted them both with this conversation, and they hadn’t the time to get up to other activities. 

“Tozer, will you… come back tonight?” Edward implores, standing now too, and Tozer offers him a bright smile. 

“I will,” Tozer agrees immediately. “So long as you call me Solomon.” 

Edward nods, and Tozer smiles once more, then turns to go—but Edward reaches out for him before he can open the door, fingers curling in the cuff of his coat. He knows that Tozer needs to go in a moment, and Edward needs to _let_ him, but there’s something he needs to say first. Only… the words escape him once more, and Edward’s frown deepens. 

Somehow, Tozer understands anyway. 

“I’ll be yours, Edward,” Tozer— _Solomon_ —says, quiet and soft, as he places his hand over Edward’s on his wrist and squeezes lightly. “Yours and only yours. If you’re mine too.” 

Edward nods immediately, overcome with relief, heart pounding. “Yes. _Yes_ , I’m yours, I have been ever since—” 

“Since the day you dropped to your knees?” Solomon teases, smirking. 

Edward huffs a quiet laugh. “Since the day we met, perhaps.”

“Never took you for much of a romantic,” Solomon replies, looking rather pleased by it, and Edward finds himself smiling back. 

“I’ve never been before,” Edward says honestly. “The way you… the way I _feel_ with you… it’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.” 

Edward kisses Solomon once more, holding his face in both hands, and Solomon kisses back hard, licking Edward’s bottom lip, and Edward parts his lips for Solomon’s tongue, and—Edward pulls back suddenly, dropping his hands to Solomon’s chest, smoothing down the fabric of his coat. 

“Solomon, you have to go.” 

“Aye.” Solomon sighs, but he’s pink-cheeked and smiling. “I’ll be back tonight, love.” 

Edward smiles and nods and lets Solomon go. 

  
  


Later, when heading out for his shift on watch, Edward passes Armitage, who does not look him in the eye—and he wonders, then, if Armitage knows about Edward and Solomon. He wonders if any of the nameless others that Solomon was fucking know about Edward. Solomon is smart enough to be discrete, and Edward trusts that he wouldn’t just tell anyone, but if someone is actively _looking_ , Edward is sure that the two of them have been rather obvious. After all, there is no good excuse for Solomon slipping into Edward’s quarters late at night, and no lie could possibly explain away the noises one might hear if they pressed their ear to Edward’s closed door. 

He wonders if Solomon will tell those others that he is taken, now, if not by whom. He wonders if they’ll be jealous. They’d be fools not to be. 

It’s an absolutely freezing night, and Edward has to stamp his feet on deck to keep warm, but he finds himself smiling nonetheless. He spends the rest of his evening counting down the minutes until Solomon will be in his bed and in his arms once more. 

**Author's Note:**

> sorry, Tommy.... also to all of Sol's many other boy toys! I've got a few ideas for who the others are, but please feel free to speculate in the comments. 
> 
> find me on twitter @blazeofglry!


End file.
